SAN FRANCISCO – Lawyers for Clarence Ray Allen, the oldest man on California’s death row, asked a federal judge late Wednesday to block his scheduled Jan. 17 execution.

Allen, 75, recently suffered a heart attack, is blind, has diabetes and frequently uses a wheelchair. His attorneys in a lawsuit say poor medical care from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is hampering Allen from assisting them in preparing a clemency petition, which is due to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by Dec. 13.

Sonoma man dead after Taser incident

SONOMA – A man died Wednesday after he was shot with a Taser gun by police attempting to subdue him.

Michael Tolosko, 31, attacked two officers in a garage when they went to question him, according to authorities.

Police were called to the home by Tolosko’s mother, who said her son stopped taking his medications. Police said the officers used a Taser as they tried to subdue Tolosko.

U.S. apologizes to environmentalist

WEST COVINA – The U.S. Department of Justice formally apologized to an environmentalist mistakenly jailed four days for investigation of a string of arson attacks targeting more than 100 vehicles at San Gabriel Valley car dealerships.

The FBI last month agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by a Josh Connole, 27, who was arrested by West Covina police three weeks after the 2003 arson attacks at dealerships in West Covina, Monrovia, Duarte and Arcadia.

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